Device for automatically inflating pneumatic tires.



No. 690,60L- P'aiented Jan. 7, I902. a. 0., monms.

DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY INFLATING PNEUMATIC TIRES.

' (Appliation filed Aug- 22, 1901. /(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

"No. 690,60I. Patented lan. 7,1902.

6. '0. monms. v DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY INFLATING PNEUMATIC TIRES. V

(Applicafiion filad Aug, 22, 1901.)

2 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE, 0. MoRRIs, OF MoniN n LLI NoIs, Assrcnon on TWO-THIRDS TO SAMUELS. CROMPTON AND GEORGE H.'MOKINSEY, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

k DElIICE'FOR AUTOMATICALLY INFLATINGPNEUMATIC TIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,601, dated January'7, 1902. I Application filed August 22, 1901. Serial No. 72,907. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, GEORGE O. MORRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois,have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for AutomaticallyIniiating Pneumatic Tires, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to devices for automaticallyinflating pneumatictires of vehicles while in motion.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich shall be simple of construction, durable in use, comparativelyinexpensive of production, easily applied, and by means of which whenthe tire has been inflated to the proper or predetermined degree furtherinflation will automatically cease and will not be resumed until the airbegins to escape from the tire.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,which will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointedout in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myinvention, showing it applied to a front wheel and front fork of abicycle, fragments'only of the wheel and fork being illustrated. Fig. 2is a similar view showing the invention applied to the rear wheel andrear forks of a bicycle. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail View of the deviceremoved. Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of theeccentric and its strap and a portion of the pump-rod; and Fig. 5 is alongitudinal vertical sectional view through the pump.

A'denotes the pneumatic-tired wheel; B, its hub; 0, its spokes; D, itsrim, and E the usual valve-nipple. These parts may be of any well-knownor approved construction, and as they in themselves form no part of thepresent invention a detailed description is not thought to be necessary.

1 denotes the barrel of an air-pump,having a removable cap 2at its upperend, formed withone or more air-inlet openings 3, and 4 denotes a capsecured to the lower end of the barrel and provided with a screw-nipple5,

adapted for connection with the valve-nipple 3 in the usual manner.

6 denotes the pump-plunger,and 7 thepumprod connected thereto and havingits free end projecting through the cap 2 and offset at 8 for obviousreasons and formed with an eccentric strip or yoke 9. The plunger 6 isprovided with a tubular valve-casing 10, having a screw-cap 11 at itsupperend, formed with an air-outlet opening 12, while the lower end ofthe tubular casing projects through the plunger and communicates withthe space in the barrel below the plunger.

13 denotes a valve which engages a seat 14', formed in the tubularValve-casing,and. is provided with a guide-stem 15. This valve is heldnormally to its seat by a coiled spring 16, which is confined betweenthe upper face of the valve and the'cap 11.

17 denotes an eccentric having a portion of its rim broken away, asshown at 18, and provided with acurved surface 19, which is adapted tobe fixedly. secured to the hub of the Wheel between its spokes. Theeccentric is provided with an arch-shaped brace 20, which is formed witha recess 21 to engage the axle between the end of the hub and one of theforks and resist endwise strain of the eccentric in a longitudinaldirection on the hub, as well as in a leaning direction with respect tothe hub. The eccentric is preferably provided with an annular groovedrim to receive the strap 9 and hold it from accidental disengagementtherefrom.

Inoperation, assuming the wheel to be in motion, its rotation will,through the instrumentality of the strap and eccentric, reciprocate theplunger in the pump-barrel. This reciprocation of the plunger willinflate the tire in the usual manner; but the instant the pressurewithin the tire exceeds the tension of the spring 10 the valve in thenipple E will remain closed, so that the air forced through the nipple 5will be compressed and will unseat the valve 13 and allow the airconfined between the nipple 5 and the nipple E to escape through theoutlet 12 in-the valvecasing and out through the openings 3-to theatmosphere. This continues until the air: pressure within the tiredecreases and is ofless force than the tension of the spring.

Then the spring reseats the valve 13, and the air forced from the nipple5 by the plunger 6 will unseat the valve of the nipple E and the tirethus be recharged or inflated.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation, andadvantages of the invention will be readily understood without requiringa'more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and details of construction maybe made within the scope of the invention Without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

The combination with one of the forks, the axle, the pneumatic-tiredwheel and its hub of a bicycle; of a pump connected to the valved nippleof the wheel, a segmental eccentric-strap secured to the pump-rod, aneccentric having a portion of its rim broken away and provided with asegmental portion fixedly secured to the hub, said eccentric beingengaged by said strap, and an arch-shaped brace fixed to the eccentricand located to one side of the broken rim portion of said eccentric andsaid segmental portion and having a recess which is engaged by the axlebetween one end of the hub and one of the forks and thereby relievingthe eccentric, at its point of connection with the hub, of undue strain,substantially in the manner set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE O. MORRIS.

\Vitnesses:

J UDsoN D. METZGAR, GRACE BROWN.

It is hereby certified that the name of the last-mentioned assignee inLetters Patent No. 690,601, granted January 7, 1902, upon theapplication of George 0. Morris, of Moline Illinois, for an improyementin Devices for Automatically Inflating Pneumatic Tires, was erroneouslyprinted George H. McKinsey, whereas said name should have been printedGeorge H. McKinley; and that the said Letters Patent should be read withthis correction therein that the same may conform to the record of thecase in the Patent Ofllce.

Signed, conntersiggned, and sealed this 21st day of January, A. D.,1902.

e] F. L. CAMPBELL, Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Oountersignedz-F. I. ALLEn,

Commissioner of Patents.

